Our series of weekly NASCAR driver interviews continues with Jeff Burton, who is part of a Kwikset-sponsored "I Heart The Mayor" contest that runs through this weekend at Daytona. You can find more information about the contest here. USA TODAY Sports spoke to Burton at Sparta, Ky.

Q: From what you've seen, whose driving style is the most similar to yours?

A: Well, I know Mark Martin and I, our driving styles are pretty similar in how we go to the throttle and how we brake and those sort of things. That's just from working with him for years and years (at Roush Racing). On our team, Kurt (Busch) and I are more similar in how we use the throttle and how we use the brake than I am with Paul (Menard) or Kevin (Harvick).

Q: Do you collect any of your own racing memorabilia, such as diecast cars, firesuits or helmets?

A: I collect helmets. I've got a lot of helmets throughout the years. I try to keep at least one helmet from every year. I've got my very first go-kart helmet that I wore when I was 7 years old. I've got my very first helmet from when I drove a stock car. I've got my very first enclosed helmet that I ever wore.

I've got helmets from most years — there may be a year here or there that I don't have. I haven't really taken inventory. But I've always tried to keep at least one from a year.

Do you have them on display somewhere?

Yeah. If you went in my house, you wouldn't know that I drove a race car for a living. But we have one area in our house that's kind of a family trophy room. We have pictures of fish we've caught, all kinds of stuff. And in there are all my trophies. It's not just a trophy room, but it's a family event room. We have pictures from vacations, family pictures, just a lot of cool personal memorabilia.

Q: What percent of success overall in NASCAR has to do with the driver, what percent is the car and what percent is luck?

A: Well, I don't know how to answer that question. I think the driver and the car are equally as important, but at the same time, if you have a really good car with a bad driver in it, then the driver all of the sudden becomes 80% of the importance. Same with the other way around. You've got to have both.

On a team that's struggling, it could be the driver, it could be the car or it could be both. Whichever is the weak point becomes the most important to fix. So it's so hard to answer that question.

I do know that as competition has become harder and we have more good cars — because regardless of what people want to say, there are more good cars than there were 20 years ago — the car has become more important. And multi-car teams have become more important. Because instead of Hendrick having one team or two teams, they also have a satellite operation.

I don't think the driver can put it up on his shoulders like you could in the past, because there are too many good cars you've got to do it against. I think you see that in the Nationwide Series and the Truck Series, where a bad day is running 12th, you know? You can run 12th over here (in Cup) and run really, really well. So it really just depends on what the situation is at that team. The car, in today's world, is exceptionally important.

Q: What person outside of your family has done the most for your racing career?

A: I can't say one person. Jack Roush gave me a chance to be in this sport for as long as I've been in it. Richard Childress gave me a chance to further my career and try to get back to running in the front and winning races. Without either one of those guys, it would have been hard to have the success I've had. You can think about a guy like Buddy Parrott, who was really fun for me to work with. There are just so many people, I hate to name one — because I can't. But certainly, those three are people who were inspirational to me in a lot of different ways.

Q: You come into contact with a ton of people on each race weekend — your team, sponsors, media, fans — and they all want or need a piece of your time. With all that demand, how do you divide it up?

A: Well, that's exactly what I do: I divide it up. There's a time when each one of those have to be the most important thing, and I don't mix the two. If I'm getting ready to go to practice and I've got my mind on something and a fan wants me to stop, I don't stop. And that might make the fan mad, but there comes a time that I have to focus on driving.

By the same token, Luke (Lambert, crew chief) will tell you there have been many times when I've been in meetings and it's like, "OK, I gotta go because I have a hospitality thing with the fans at 12:30." Well, I leave the meeting, because I've got to be there. So I just structure my time with whatever is on the schedule — my mental schedule and my physical schedule.

Q: I often hear fans ask drivers something like, "Do you remember me from an autograph session three years ago?" Of course, that's hard to do, but it shows fans want to be remembered. What is something a fan could do to be remembered by you?

A: You know, you'd be amazed how many people I remember. I struggle to remember someone from three years ago. But you'd be amazed, really. I think to me it's just the people who are just nice.

The thing I don't like about autograph sessions is when you try to stuff everything in a one-hour window, you don't have time to stop and talk to people. And when you have time to talk to people for just 10 seconds, you remember them. When you're sitting at an autograph line and you've got your head down and you're signing, you can't remember nobody. It's just about being in a situation where you have time to say Hi to somebody. And then they tell you, "Oh, I'm from Ohio and my kid likes to race" or those kind of things.

Q: The last person you wrecked — did you do it on purpose?

A: No.

I'm not sure who it was.

I'm not either, but it wasn't on purpose. I bet you I could count on both my hands in my entire racing career — going all the way back to go-karts — the amount of times I've wrecked somebody on purpose. I'd be willing to bet on that. I'm not BS'ing you, I'm telling you the truth: In almost 30 years of racing, I could count on my two hands how many people I've wrecked on purpose. To really sit here and think about it right now, I could almost do it on one hand.

Q: Who is someone you used to clash with in the garage, but for whatever reason, you've moved on and are now friends?

A: I'd say Tony Stewart, but it's a tough week to ask me that question (after the two had a run-in at Sonoma). When Tony first came in, he was really respectful of all the drivers, but at the same time, he was on the chip and not necessarily the most pleasant person to be around (laughs). He's obviously a completely different person now. When he first came in, I was like, "Damn, how could you be that hostile? Why the hostility?" So I didn't really know him that well and didn't really care to, but as we've raced together more and gotten to know him much better, I feel like we get along pretty well.

Except for last week.

Except for last week. (Laughs).

Q: What's the best racing-related movie?

A: Is there one? I'd have to say Senna. In my eyes, there are only a few racing-related movies that are really racing-related.

Q: What's your song of the moment right now?

A: That's a good question. This is damn sure not a song of the moment, but we have been working out the last few weeks and have had the AC/DC channel on Pandora. For some reason, I've really enjoyed that channel. My son (Harrison) has been working out with me, and we've been listening to that. So it's not a particular song, but that's been the latest thing on high volume.

Q: Define yourself without NASCAR. Who are you away from the track?

A: I'm pretty much what you see. I'm a pretty focused person — when I'm on something, I'm on it. I like to relax and kind of do nothing from time to time. I can sit on the couch for an hour and a half and just do nothing and just catch my breath. But at the same time, I don't like to do that for very long. I like to be outside. I've got my own shop where I can work on Late Models.

My wife has got an equestrian facility, and I've quickly turned into the handyman there — which I'm not so proud of (laughs).

I'm pretty much the same person here than I am away from the track.

Q: I've been asking each person to give a question for the next interview. Last week was Matt Kenseth, and he wanted to know: Of all your wins, which was the most memorable or exciting for you?

A: That's funny he should ask that — beating his (butt) (laughs). I've had the privilege to race with him in some really, really close races at the end of the races. He and I racing at Dover for the win (in 2006), going at it, racing hard side-by-side, both of us sideways. Texas (2007) as well — both of us getting everything we can. We never touched each other, we never crossed the line, we both gave 100%.

WATCH: Burton talks about winning the 2006 Dover 400

I was fortunate to win those two races. After one of those races, I ran into Rick Mears at the airport and he said, "Jeff, I'm going to tell you: That was one of the best races I've ever seen. They should play that race to every rookie meeting before every series and show people you can race hard, but race clean. That's how racing should be."

It's great when you get to race somebody who you respect a great deal, like I do respect Matt. I think Matt is one of the most underrated drivers in the sport's history, because he's so quiet and unassuming. His talent level is unbelievable, but when you talk about the top three or four guys, his name never comes up — which is grossly unfair.

So with us being able to race in the way we did it and us being able to come out on top, those wins meant a lot to me. It's out of pure respect.

One of the pictures that I have in my trophy room that I'm most proud of is when that race was over at Dover, I turned around to come backwards and he made an extra lap — and we parked driver door-to-driver door with our hands out, giving each other high five. He lost the race and took time to do that. That, to me, is what competition is about — you can respect the person you're trying to beat.

I watch the NFL and I watch the NBA, and when they win a game, it's like they get pleasure out of destroying someone. It's like hand-to-hand combat. It's freaking ridiculous. It's like they draw power from hating their enemy; I draw power from respecting my adversary. Those races were examples of that.

And do you have a question for the next person?

I would ask them if they could make one rule change on the Gen 6, what would it be?

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JEFF BURTON'S THREE FAVORITE APPS:

-- The Weather Channel

-- Pandora

-- I have an app that tells me the current weather conditions offshore. It shows wave conditions and wind speed and water temperature. I like to mess with that, because I like to offshore fish. It's fun, especially when a storm is rolling through – it's cool to go on there and see 70-foot waves.